The Spellbound Journey
by lariqueniasexiboricua90
Summary: The Unexpected Journey with a magic twist. Maerwen is a half-dwarf half-elf who has to cast a protection spell on Thorin. Will she do it? What will it take for her to cast the spell? Will she get over her hatred for dwarves? Rated M, warnings before each chapter
1. Prologue- A Mother's Love

Prologue: A Mother's Love

Mari stomped up to Elrond, disgruntled, with tears drying on her cheeks. He picked her up and placed her on his lap. "My dear Maerwen, what's wrong?" He asked, calling her by her full name.

She scrunched up her nose at the sound of her name and then looked up at her adoptive father's eyes. "The other children keep making fun of me because I'm so much smaller than them." She told him. "Why am I so small, father?"

Elrond's heart broke as he realized it was time to tell Mari what she really was. "Well, my dear, let me tell you the story of how your grandmother got a curse put onto her."

One sunny, summer day, in the Bazaar of Bree, a handsome elven couple walked hand in hand as they explored the shops around them. The young husband wanted to buy his new wife a gift and was trying to find the perfect thing to buy for her. He came upon a stand of beautifully handcrafted jewelry and his eyes found a diamond tiara. He picked it up and turned to his wife. "What about this, my dear?"

The beautiful woman took the tiara from her husband's hands and examined it. The owner of the stand, a brown haired dwarf, smiled up at the couple. "It's of finest quality, that it. The best diamonds from the best mines of dwarves."

The woman put the tiara back onto the table with a grimace. "It's dwarf made," she said. "Anything that touches my head has to be elf made, not made from filthy hands."

The husband frowned as he looked upon his wife, but being used to such behavior, he walked on in search for the perfect gift. The dwarf, however, sneered at the woman. "Ye will get what's coming to ye, lassie. Your pride shalt be the downfall of your line." He then spoke in an old dwarfish tongue and cast a curse on the young woman.

The woman shivered as if submerged in ice as she rushed to join her husband. Nine months later, she gave birth to a daughter, Seldirima. The babe was healthy as can be, if not a bit small for an elf newborn. The young couple didn't worry yet, though. She had time to grow.

As Seldirima grew, though, it became apparent that she would be different than the other elven children. She was just as beautiful as the others were. With long black hair, fair skin, almond-shaped hazel eyes, she was the spitting image of her mother. But, her height was a huge problem. At the age of 30, when elves finally stop growing, Seldirima measured a mere 5 feet even. She was constantly picked on because of her height, and no suitors ever went knocking at her door. Her parents feared that the curse would make it so that their precious daughter would never find love.

Months went by, years went by, even decades surpassed them, and yet there was no hope for poor Seldirima. That is, until a company of dwarves passed through Rivendell seeking refuge from an orc attack. The Ironfist clan of dwarves had been marching off to war when they were attacked, and had asked to recuperate. Elrond let them stay.

Seldirima had never been outside the walls of Rivendell, but had heard stories of the many creatures that inhabited Middle Earth. She was excited to finally meet people who were not going to judge her for how short she happened to be. On the contrary, these people would make her feel very tall indeed.

One dwarf in particular captivated Seldirima, Yiro Opalcarver. He was young for a dwarf, just 60 years old. He was tall too, measuring 5 foot even and could look Seldirima in the eyes. Rima, as Yiro called her, was always found walking through the hills of Rivendell with Yiro. They talked of all the adventures he had been on, of Rima's terrible childhood, of their hopes and dreams. And, as fate should have it, to her parents' dismay, Rima fell in love with the young dwarf warrior.

Enraged that their daughter could fall in love with a "dirty, filthy, lowly dwarf", in her mother's words, demanded that the two of them never meet again and petitioned for Elrond to send the dwarf company on their way. The dwarves heard of the petition and were outraged that Yiro had stooped so low as to love an elf. The dwarf company prepared to leave.

The day before the dwarves left, Yiro and Seldirima married under an apple tree in their favorite orchard. Elrond bonded them happily and the couple spent one final night together. Yiro promised he'd come back for her and left the next day.

Nine months later, Seldirima gave birth to her first child, Maerwen. She loved her daughter and told her baby stories of her great father that was coming home to them soon. But, when little Mari was three months old, exactly a year since the day Yiro had left, Seldirima got the worst news of her life. Yiro had been slain in battle and would never return for her and their child.

Grief filled Seldirima. She was all alone in the world, but for her precious babe. She took her daughter to Elrond and pleaded with him to take care of her. He accepted, knowing the desperation that was in Seldirima's eyes. Rima didn't last another week, when grief filled her heart completely and ended her life.

Mari looked up at Elrond with Seldirima's almond shaped, hazel eyes. "So, I'm short because I'm a dwarf?" she asked, tears leaking from her eyes.

"No, my dear," Elrond said soothingly, "you're only half dwarf."


	2. Chapter One- Dwarves in Rivendell

Chapter One: Dwarves in Rivendell

Mari stood on her marble step stool and leaned on the rail of Arwen's balcony. It was a warm, breezy day and she loved the view from her sister's room. She watched the quiet, still town and sighed. _I wish something exciting would happen today,_ she thought to herself. As in in answer to her wish, Gandalf the Grey marched into the courtyard below. Mari rubbed her eyes to see if she was seeing things because Gandalf came accompanied by 14 small people. _Those are dwarves!_ Mari's head screamed.

Mari watched the commotion below with a smile on her face. The elf army, led by Elrond, soon joined the dwarves and Gandalf. She giggled when the dwarves took Elrond's invitation as a threat.

"What's so funny?" Arwen asked as she walked up beside her and looked down.

"Those stupid dwarves are thinking the worst about Lord Elrond." Mari responded haughtily. "I didn't expect much else from such creatures."

Arwen looked at her younger sister. "Aren't you half dwarf?"

"I resent that insinuation!" Mari said incredulously. "I'm no dwarf, I'm an elf!"

Arwen laughed. "Whatever you say, dear sister."

Mari stuck out her tongue at Arwen who rolled her eyes. "Mari, you're 100 years old, act your age."

Mari laughed. "But that's no fun!"

The girls quickly dressed for lunch and walked to the hall where Elrond was entertaining the dwarves. They both walked up to him and bowed before kissing his cheek. Elrond smiled at his daughters. Arwen wore a long, light blue dress while Mari wore a long, yellow dress; both were of woven silk. They took their place at either side of their father as the music continued to play. Arwen sat with her eyes closed, listening to the music. Mari was more interested in the stories Gandalf was telling and was leaning forward in her raised seat.

She sat wide eyed as one of the dwarves produced an Elven made blade from his side and handed it to Elrond.

Mari gasped when Elrond said, "This is Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver. It's elven made and a very good sword. It will serve you well." The dwarf bowed his head at Elrond in acknowledgement of his superior knowledge. Gandalf the Grey then produced a sword of his own for Elrond's inspection. Elrond surveyed the sword for a moment then said, "This is Glamdring, the Foe-hammer. Where did you find these swords?"

"We came upon them when we killed three trolls right outside your borders." Gandalf responded.

Mari almost choked on the mouthful of salad she had just placed in her mouth. She quickly swallowed and spoke excitedly, "That was the sword of Turgon the Wise! That dwarf's sword is its mate. Both swords were originally forged in Gondolin. I wonder how trolls could get a hold of such awesome swords."

The dwarf looked at Mari in surprise. "I'm impressed that a child knows so much sword-lore."

Mari sneered as she said, "child?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm older than you are, dwarf."

Sensing a fight in the making, Elrond cut in. "Thorin, allow me to introduce you to my adopted daughter, Maerwen. Mari, this is Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the mountain."

Mari rolled her eyes again. "What do I care of some king of such creatures?"

Thorin grew angry. "Don't blame us dwarves for the fact that you have a birth defect, girl. It's not our fault your mother got into some trouble and produced a short elf like you."

Mari stood up and slammed her napkin onto her chair (she couldn't reach the table). "I don't have a birth defect, you stupid dwarf!" She stormed off and turned before she walked out the hall. "For your information, it is the fault of you dwarves that I've been born this way you arrogant bastard." With that, she ran to her room, crying.

Thorin and the other dwarves all stood, insulted. Thorin turned to Elrond, anger apparent on his face, only to see a smile spreading across the elf lord's face. He looked around the table to see Arwen and Gandalf holding back laughter. "What's so funny about her insulting us, if I may ask? Do you regularly encourage your daughter to insult your guests?"

Elrond cleared his throat. "Well, you see, Mari was also half insulting herself." At Thorin and the other dwarves' looks of confusion Elrond explained. "Mari is half dwarf. That's why she's so short for an elf."

Gandalf picked up the story from there. "Mari's grandmother was rude to one of the dwarf mages a long time ago. She got a curse put onto her and Mari's mother Seldirima was born short for an elf. Seldirima then fell in love with Yiro Opalcarver when he and his kinsmen came to Rivendell after being ambushed by orcs. No one wanted those two together, as you can understand." Everyone in the room nodded. "They married in secret the day before Yiro was to march for war. That night, they conceived Mari. Yiro never came back from war and Seldirima died from the grief, leaving Mari to Elrond's care."

Understanding dawned on all the dwarves in the room as they all sat back down and went back to their meals. Thorin bowed his head at Elrond, "I've heard of Yiro Opalcarver. If that's true, I'm sorry I upset your daughter. Though, I can't understand why she would talk in such a way if she's half dwarf herself."

Arwen was the one to answer him. "Well, you hit a sore spot of hers. She hates that she's not as tall as the rest of us. She kind of considers it a birth defect to be so short. You just rubbed salt in an open wound."

Thorin nodded in understanding. The dwarves in the smaller table were all nodding and looked up as the one named Kili suddenly stood up and spoke. "Wait, she can't be half dwarf! She's so beautiful!" All the dwarves around the table shook their heads and groaned. Fili pulled his brother back into his seat and hit him upside the head.

Thorin shook his head at the young dwarves' antics. "Well, I hope we didn't make her feel too bad."

Elrond shook his head. "Don't worry. Mari is made of thick skin. She'll be back at training tomorrow morning."

Thorin was surprised by this. "Training? For what?"

Arwen smiled. "She trains with the army trainees every day. She loves beating them at swords and bow and arrow. She's very handy with just about every weapon. You guys should join them tomorrow. You could see her in action."

The dwarves nodded and mumbled their agreement. They all wanted to see the beautiful half dwarf maiden in action. "We would like that." Thorin said.

When they were all finished with the meal, Elrond took the dwarves on a tour of his house and finally asked them the question he'd needed the answer to, "So, will you finally tell me what your quest is for?"

Gandalf looked at the dwarves, warning them to keep their mouths shut. "We were on our way here to see if you can help us read a map." He motioned for Thorin to produce the map. When Thorin hesitated, Gandalf growled out, "We can trust Elrond. We need his help, he's the only one who can help us."

Thorin handed the map over. Elrond looked the map over and inquired, "What is your interest in this map?"

"It's strictly academic." Gandalf said before Thorin could say anything. He shared a private look with the dwarf king before turning back to Elrond. "You still read old dwarfish, right?"

Elrond nodded as he walked toward the moonlight to get a closer look at the map. In the moonlight, he realized there were moon runes and knew that he would only be able to read the rest of the map by the light of the same moon in which the map was written. He led the dwarves to a cave with a crystal table in the middle. "You are in luck, Thorin Oakenshield. It seems you were meant to be at Rivendell on this day. This map was written on the crescent moon of a midsummer's eve. Today is that crescent moon."

They all gazed up as the clouds uncovered the blue moon and the light shined through the crystal and made blue lettering glow throughout the map. "It says, 'stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole.'"

"What's Durin's Day?" Bilbo asked, curiously. The dwarves began to explain about the Dwarf New Year and Elrond only half listened until Balin said, "There's still time. We just need to be at the right spot, at the right time and we'll be able to unlock the door."

Elrond looked from Thorin to Gandalf. "So this is your purpose? To enter the mountain?"

"What of it?" Thorin asked.

"There are some who would not deem it wise." Elrond responded before smiling. "But, I'm not one of them." He gave the map back to Thorin and then motioned for the dwarves to follow him back out of the cave. "Come, my friends. That's enough excitement for one day. Let's return to the main hall and I'll get Arwen to show you to your rooms."

When they got to the main hall and the dwarves started to follow Arwen, Elrond approached Gandalf. "Come, my friend. I must speak with you in my study."

Gandalf followed Elrond to a room with many books and they both sat in chairs by a fire. "What is it you need to speak about, my friend?"

Elrond looked into the fire. "I fear that Thorin might not make it out of this journey alive. His destiny is to rule his people again, but he needs the proper protection."

Gandalf nodded in agreement. "That's certainly true. What kind of protection do you have in mind?"

Elrond looked at Gandalf. "I had an idea, but it might be a little crazy." Gandalf motioned for Elrond to continue. "Well, I was hoping on calling forth ancient dwarf magic and ancient elf magic, mixing it together and casting a spell on Thorin."

Gandalf thought about this information before nodding. "It might work, but you sound like you're doubtful."

Elrond sighed. "You know as well as I do how these spells work. We need a channel for this magic, and the best one would be someone who is half elf and half dwarf."

Gandalf nodded in understanding. "That shouldn't be a problem. Mari is very good at magic. We can convince her to put the spell on Thorin."

Elrond sighed again. "The problem lies in the fact there is no special bond between Maerwen and Thorin. You know better than I that there needs to be an established bond before this sort of spell will work. Mari won't ever get along with a dwarf, she hates them because of the spell that was cast on her grandmother. She thinks she would have been born fully Elfish if her mother hadn't been short." He sighed yet again.

Gandalf now understood the bigger problem. "Well, what if they don't need to like each other?" Elrond looked at him, confused. "What if we just need to establish a bond so that the spell will work?"

Elrond thought for a moment. "That would work, but what sort of bond could we establish?"

Gandalf smiled. "We can establish the strongest bond known to all in Middle Earth." Elrond's eyes went wide. "You did always worry you'd never find someone for your beloved daughter. This will be the perfect solution for both problems."

Elrond nodded. "How do you propose we convince her to marry a dwarf?"

Gandalf laughed. "You're her father, think of something."

Elrond nodded. "I'll think of something. It's the best we have, and it needs to be done."


	3. Chapter Two- Getting Along

Chapter Two: Getting Along

The next day, the dwarves found Mari in the courtyard bright and early with the other training elves. They watched in awe as one by one, the male elves challenged Mari and she flipped and disarmed each opponent. Thorin was especially impressed with the half dwarf maiden. _If I were to ever have a woman,_ he thought, _she would have to be like her. She couldn't be a woman who would stop me from going to battle, but a woman who would pick up a sword and join me._

Thorin was forced out of his reverie when Gloin decided to make a comment. "Well, Thorin, you better be careful. Your sword play has gotten a little rusty. That little miss might be able to beat even you."

Thorin glared at Gloin. "I may be rusty, old friend, but I could be blind folded with one arm tied behind my back and I'd still be able to beat you."

The dwarves all laughed at this. Gloin merely smiled. "That may be true, my liege, but we weren't talking about me. We were talking about the girl." Gloin pointed at Mari who had laid yet another soldier flat on his back and pin the poor man with his own sword.

Thorin scoffed. "I could beat even that little girl."

Mari heard the exchange as she had taken a swig from her water skin. She swallowed and sneered toward the dwarves. "That sounds like a challenge, dwarf. You care to see it through?"

Thorin turned toward Mari and grinned. "I wouldn't want to hurt you again, my dear."

Mari glared. "I bet you couldn't even disarm me. You're just a dwarf; you probably don't even know how to properly hold a sword. You should just stick to axes."

Thorin grew angry at her comments. "I'll show you the proper way to wield a sword, and when I'm done, you'll be eating your words little girl."

"Bring it on," Mari said with a grin.

The two faced off, Thorin holding his Orcrist and Mari holding Arwen's sword, Hadhafang (Mari liked to train with her sister's sword.) They circled around each other twice, as cheers from around them became stronger. Mari grew tired of waiting for Thorin to attack first, so she lunged forward only to get countered by Thorin. And so their battle began, soon it became clear to those around them that the two were almost evenly matched.

Mari grew tired of the fight and summoned a shadow spell. This unique spell created the illusion of multiple Maris around Thorin so that the dwarf didn't know which one was the real one. The worst part was that all of them were doing different moves to attack him so he was left waving his sword left and right. Suddenly, the real Mari appeared before him and flipped him onto his back while disarming him. She then straddled him and crossed his sword with her own at his throat.

Fortunately for Thorin, Elrond and Gandalf happened to walk into the training courtyard. Gandalf laughed and said, "Oh look, they're getting along."

Elrond gave the wizard a scathing look before turning back toward his daughter. "Maerwen, get off of Thorin and give him his sword back."

Mari did as she was told, and bowed ironically as she handed Thorin his sword, smirking at her victory. "I told you I would win."

Thorin rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have won if you hadn't used your magic trickery. I'll admit, we were pretty evenly matched, but if you hadn't cheated, I know I would have won."

Mari was about to send an angry reply when Elrond interfered. "Breakfast is ready on the terrace, friends. Please join me."

Mari grumbled as she walked passed her father on her way to her room to change for breakfast. She couldn't believe the gull of that damned dwarf. _He really thinks he can beat me,_ she thought angrily. She stomped into her room and went to her wash basin. She cleansed herself quickly and changed into a blue dress. When she was finished, she brushed out her straight, black hair and smiled at her reflection. Her father loved when she wore blue.

She took a deep breath and walked out of her room toward the terrace where breakfast had been laid out. She walked over to her father, kissed his cheek and sat next to him, across from Arwen whom she smiled at. To her dismay, she saw that Thorin had been placed next to her today. _What was my father thinking?_ She asked herself.

She ate in silence as she listened to the talk around her. The dwarves in the smaller table were still discussing the fight between her and Thorin and she smiled at how excited they were about the magic she had used. She admitted briefly that it was cheating to bring magic to a sword fight, but she also knew that it was smart to play on all her strengths and magic was a big strength of hers.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Elrond addressed her. "Yes, father?"

"After breakfast, can you come to my study?" Elrond asked. "Gandalf and I have to talk to you."

Mari looked at her father, worried. "Sure, father. Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, my dear," Gandalf said from down the table. "We just want to run a few ideas passed you. We need your help with something."

Mari nodded. "Ok." She went back to her breakfast.

"Thorin, we'll need you and the dwarves at this meeting too," Gandalf added as an afterthought. Mari looked down the table at the wizard and raised an eyebrow. "We'll tell you after breakfast. Enjoy your meal for now."

Mari couldn't believe it. Elrond and Gandalf were planning something, she knew it. And it had something to do with the dwarves. _I won't know what they're planning until after breakfast._ She thought. _I better not worry about it now. _

Thorin was also confused, but he still nodded in agreement. "That is fine. We haven't made plans to leave yet. We still have time to meet with you."

Gandalf and Elrond shared a look. This meeting was going to prove interesting.

* * *

Maerwen walked into her father's study, escorted by her sister. "Unfortunately our father has decided that I should not be present in this meeting so I must wait outside. Don't worry, though, as I will still be close by." Arwen said with a kind smile. "But you still have to tell me what happens."

Mari looked at her sister with uncertainty. She was not used to attending meetings with her father, let alone with a wizard and a group of smelly, ugly and rude dwarves. "Please don't leave me." Mari begged.

Arwen laughed as she hugged her younger sister. "You're going to be fine, Mari. I promise." With that, Arwen left her sister in Elrond's study and closed the door behind her. Mari turned from the door to face the people in the room before her. _Here goes nothing,_ she thought.

Elrond looked around to see if everyone was present, satisfied that they were all there he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"First, I would like to start off by saying, I understand the need for this quest and you have my full support." He walked around the room, looking each dwarf in the eye before stopping in front of Thorin, who was seated next to Mari. Thorin nodded, but Mari was still staring at her father in confusion.

"There's just one thing I think your company is missing," Elrond continued. "You need protection."

Mari looked around the room, then back at her father, "What does that have to do with me?"

Before she could continue to voice her concern, however, she was interrupted by Balin who asked, "What types of weapons are you going to be giving us?"

Elrond looked between his daughter and the old dwarf that had spoken, unsure which question to answer first. He chose to address Balin. "I wasn't speaking of weapons, Balin. On the contrary, I was more speaking of a protection spell."

Something clicked in Mari's mind, _Oh no…_ She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

Thorin, however, didn't know how any of this had to do with the brat, so he asked, "I still don't see why we need Maerwen amongst us if we're only talking about some protection spell."

Gandalf took up the explanation. "My friends, magic is a complicated thing. Not just anyone can cast any spell. Most spells need a channel, a person that can keep putting power and magic into the spell. These channels must be strong, and they have to be able to control such power."

Elrond took over from there, "The spells we wanted to use on you are a mixture of old elfish spells and old dwarfish spells." At this, he looked directly into Mari's skeptical eyes. "The channel we need has to be a half dwarf, half elf spell caster."

Mari shook her head as all the dwarves looked her way. "No." she said simply.

Thorin looked between Elrond and Mari. "Is she even powerful enough to cast such a spell?"

Mari looked at the dwarf, annoyed. "For your information, dwarf, I could have cast this sort of spell when I was merely two years old." She looked back at her father. "Again, no!"

Elrond sighed. "Mari, you haven't even though about it."

Mari shrugged. "I don't need to, my answer is no. He wants to go on this quest, let him, but keep me out of it. I don't care about this and I see nothing in it for me."

Gandalf chuckled. "Well, looks like you'll have an even more difficult time convincing her about the second part."

Mari's eyes narrowed at her father. "There's more you want me to do?" Elrond nodded. "Well, come on! Out with it so I can say no already!"

Elrond looked at Gandalf for help, but the old wizard just shook his head with a smile. Elrond sighed and paced a bit, all eyes following him. "There's one more bit to the spell. The best way for the channel to cast the spell effectively, there has to be a bond established between the channel and the person receiving the spell."

Thorin scoffed. "I feel as if this is going to be an impossible spell to cast, Lord Elrond. There is no bond between Maerwen and myself."

Mari nodded. "The dwarf is right father. Even if I were willing to help, it's not possible if Thorin and I don't even like each other. Your plan is flawed."

Gandalf laughed and decided to help Elrond a little. "Mari, my dear child, you're forgetting the strongest bond known to all." Mari narrowed her eyes at the old man and he smiled at her. "If you and Thorin here were to wed, it would establish a bond strong enough for the spell to-"

Mari and Thorin jumped up together. "I will never marry that dwarf!" she said at the same time he said, "I will never marry that brat!"

_Well, at least they agree on something,_ Gandalf thought to himself with a chuckle. Elrond glared at the wizard "This is your fault" clearly burning through. Gandalf just shrugged. "I told you it wouldn't be easy, old friend."

Mari was furious. "You actually thought you could convince me to go along with this? You must not know me at all, father." She looked around again. "Since I won't be helping you at all, it looks like my presence is no longer needed."

She walked toward the door until an icy voice stopped her in her tracks. "Maerwen Opalcarver, daughter of Seldirima!" Mari turned toward the imperial voice, her father was giving her the father look that said she was in trouble. "Get your posterior back over here and sit down, young lady."

Mari walked back to her chair and sat down with a huff. "What now, _Lord_ Elrond?"

Elrond frowned at her attitude. "You need to do this." He turned to Thorin who was shaking his head. "It's the only way to guarantee your protection. You'll need this to continue your quest."

Thorin looked into Elrond's eyes and saw the truth. He sighed. "Fine, if you can convince Mari, then I'll go along with whatever needs to be done." His eyes gleamed with mischief. "Good luck convincing her." With that, he stood and the other dwarves followed as he walked out of the study and into the hall.

Mari scoffed. "Looks like this spell isn't going to happen, father."

Elrond shook his head. "Follow me, Maerwen."

Mari followed Elrond to the cave where the great crystal lay. There, her father approached the great crystal which began to glow and projected two moving pictures in the sky. "These are the two fates that can befall Thorin. The one on the left is if his quest succeeds. The one on the right is if it doesn't."

Mari watched, horrified at the picture on the right. That particular future depicted so much death, violence and decay, she couldn't bear to watch it. The future depicted on the left was more bearable, showing happiness and a great kingdom restored to its formal glory. Mari couldn't take the power of the future seeing spell, she burst into tears at her father's feet.

"I'm so sorry, father. I'm sorry I was so stubborn." Her father knelt down and wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She looked up into his eyes. "I finally agree, father. I will marry Thorin Oakenshield and cast the protection spell." He nodded and hugged her, grateful to have gotten through to her. "But," she said and he looked back into her eyes. "I will never fall into his bed."

* * *

A/N: I'm so happy to have so much of a following already! This if by far my favorite story so far, I hope you guys continue to like it. Please review! Reviews make me happy! I'm trying to work on another story along with this one, so I won't be updating this one unless I update the other one, so please bear with me. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. :)


	4. Chapter Three- Rude Awakening

Chapter Three: Rude Awakening

Elrond escorted Mari to her room where Arwen was sitting patiently on the bed, waiting to be told about the meeting. He let the sisters talk while he went in search of the dwarves. He found them on one of the balconies, smoking pipes with Gandalf.

Gandalf noticed their host approaching and smiled at the elf lord. "What news do you have for us, old friend?"

Elrond smiled back at Gandalf then looked around at the company of dwarves. "Well, it looks like we'll be casting the protection spell. Mari has agreed to marry Thorin."

Gandalf puffed out the bit of smoke he had in his mouth and smiled, "Oh that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Thorin's eyes grew wide in shock as the other dwarves began to proclaim their discontent. Elrond himself was shocked at the negative response he got from the men around him. "My friends, what's the problem?"

Balin quieted the rest of the dwarves before he spoke. "We never thought you would be able to get young Maerwen to agree to this travesty." Elrond's eyebrows rose a bit at the word, Balin continued. "Our king cannot marry a half elf maiden, we won't allow it."

Thorin closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head so that he wouldn't bash heads in. _I will not kill them for thinking they can decide my fate,_ he thought to himself over and over again like a mantra. The other dwarves had begun to put their own opinions in on the matter and finally Thorin couldn't take any more of the bickering.

He cleared his throat rather loudly and the dwarves instantly quieted. "Who are any of you to think you can decide who is suitable for me to marry?" He asked, looking each dwarf in the eye. "Gandalf and Lord Elrond both think this would be good in order for our quest to succeed. Do you question their wisdom?"

The dwarves didn't dare look Thorin in the eye anymore and looked down in shame. Elrond watched this display in amusement. "Well said, my friend." He told Thorin with a smile. He turned to Gandalf and said, "It looks like we have a wedding to plan, old man."

* * *

Mari finished telling her sister everything that had transpired and watched her sister's facial expressions. Arwen mostly looked puzzled, she still couldn't figure out why her father would push a loveless marriage onto Mari. She shrugged and looked back at her little sister, "Looks like your plate is full, dearest."

Mari sighed. "I kind of figured that on my own, but thank you for pointing that out yet again."

Arwen laughed. "Come on, Mari. It's not that bad." Mari glared at her sister. "Ok, so you have to marry a dwarf, it could be worse. You could have been paired with a troll."

Mari laughed. "I think I would rather the troll."

Arwen hugged her sister and then stood up from the bed. "Well, I'm off to bed, dear sister. That meeting took all day and I'm sure father will want to have the betrothal feast tomorrow, so you should get some sleep."

As soon as Arwen left her room, Mari laid down and burst into tears. She couldn't believe everything that was happening lately. _Why does my life have to be so cursed?_ She thought right before drifting off to a restless sleep.

* * *

_Mari walked into the courtyard with her sister's sword, ready to bash some heads in. Upon arriving to the practice yard, she heard snickering and saw all the trainees pointing her way and whispering to each other._

_One of her usual challengers walked up to her with a smirk and said, "So, we hear you're to be the dwarf's queen."_

_Mari shrugged. "Yeah, what of it?"_

_He laughed. "We all knew you were only fit to be the wife of a dwarf."_

_Mari drew her sword. "Don't insult me unless you're willing to challenge me."_

_All the trainees began to laugh and taunt her. "Don't destroy your beauty, little dwarf." "You'll need to preserve your pretty face for your wedding."_

_The one who had approached her smirked and said, "You shouldn't be out here challenging us, dearest. You should be taking care of your beautiful appearance, since you'll be the prettiest in that company."_

_Tears came to Mari's eyes as they continued taunting her. She turned around and fled to her room, throwing herself onto the bed and crying about the injustice of it all._

_When she woke up, Arwen was leaning over her with a big smile on her face. "Rise and shine little sister, it's time to prepare for your wedding." _

_Mari was rushed through her bathing process and forced into a sack-like gown. She looked down at herself in horror and turned to her big sister. "What in all of Middle Earth is this horrid thing?"_

_Arwen laughed. "Don't you like it? It's the traditional dwarf garb for the bride."_

_Mari looked in the mirror and grimaced. "Do I have to wear this?" When Arwen nodded she groaned. She then looked on in horror at the way her sister was arranging her hair. She was tying bones and gems into her hair and making it stand up in all different directions. The effect really marred her natural beauty._

_When Arwen was finally finished, Mari was dragged through the halls, protesting the whole way there. She didn't want to look this ugly on her wedding day. Arwen didn't hear any of her pleas, however, and pushed her into the grand hall where the ceremony was to take place. _

_Upon entering the beautifully decorated hall, Mari winced as all eyes turned to her. She wanted to cry when she saw people's mouths open in shock. She looked up at the end of the hall where Gandalf and Elrond were standing with Thorin and was in shock herself at the look that Thorin was giving her. He looked at her as if he actually liked what he was seeing. She decided to look down at the horrid gown she was wearing and squealed at the sight before her eyes. The sack like gown had turned into a long, yellow, elfish wedding gown. She reached up to her hair and felt it soft and falling to her shoulders in curly ringlets. She could feel the weight of an elven crown upon her head. She looked back into Thorin's eyes and saw how he accepted the elfish side of her._

Mari tossed and turned in her bed, trying to find the perfect position. Finally, she hugged a pillow to her chest and drifted off to another dream.

_It was raining and the company of dwarves, the hobbit, and Gandalf decided to stop at an Inn to seek information. There weren't many vacant rooms, so Mari couldn't bunk on her own; she had to share a room with Thorin. _

_They walked into the room and looked around. Mari sighed at the comfortable looking bed before her. It was a comfort to know she wouldn't have to sleep on the cold ground that night. She blushed at the thought of sharing the bed with her husband, though._

_Thorin also surveyed the big bed that inhabited the middle of the room. _That might serve us well, _he thought to himself. He then shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. He turned to Maerwen and said, "I'll leave you to bathe, wife. I'll be downstairs getting a drink."_

_Mari nodded as Thorin left and closed the door. She undressed and stepped into the tub of steaming water with a sigh. She had missed bathing. She soaked for a while, then she washed her hair and scrubbed her body well. She hopped out of the tub, dried herself off and put on her sleeping robes. She sat on the edge of her bed and began to work the horrible knots out of her long hair._

_Thorin walked in at that point and stood at the doorway when he saw her combing her wet hair. He watched, mesmerized at the sheer beauty she radiated. Mari looked up and saw Thorin watching her and smiled at him. He looked down, embarrassed to have been caught gawking. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, I'll go try to bathe, if the water is still hot." Mari nodded and went back to her hair as Thorin walked behind the curtain in the corner of the room that was hiding the tub._

_After Mari had finished combing her hair, she picked a spell book and began to read as Thorin stepped out from behind the curtain. Mari looked up and gaped at her husband who was walking toward the bed, in just his pants, running a towel through his long, messy hair. Mari's eyes surveyed the buff, scarred man before her and found herself standing up and walking toward her husband. Thorin threw the towel on the floor and looked up, shocked to see Mari standing before him._

_Mari reached for a scar that was just above the dwarf's navel. "Where did you get all these scars?" She asked as she traced lightly over it._

_Thorin gasped lightly at the innocent touch. "I've gotten all of them from battles I've fought."_

_Mari nodded, still captivated by the faint scars marring his otherwise flawless skin. She traced a scar that was right above his right rib, stepping closer to her husband. Then, she traced the one that was over his heart. She stepped even closer when she saw a raised scar on his left shoulder. She traced it lightly, staring at it for a second. "This one looks like a recent one," she whispered. After a minute, she realized what she was doing and snatched her hand away, took a step back, and said, "I'm so sorry!"_

_Thorin, however, wasn't going to let her go so easily. He grabbed the hand that had just been torturing him and growled out, "You can touch me whenever you want."_

_Mari looked into Thorin's eyes and saw the lust that he had suppressed the whole time they had been married. Her heart started to race and she tried to maintain her dignified air. "I would never want to touch you, dwarf." She told him, but her voice quaked a bit._

_He smirked at her as he pulled her into him and kissed her on the lips. She moaned when he traced her lips with his tongue and she opened her mouth to let his tongue in and explore, all the while copying his every move._

_Thorin took the opportunity to pull the robes off of Mari. Mari blushed when she felt the robes fall to her feet, leaving her in her thin night gown. Thorin kissed her again and reached down to pull the gown over her head. He stepped back, threw the gown onto the floor, and surveyed his delicious wife. _

_Mari tried to cover her completely nude form, but Thorin stepped back to her and grabbed her hands. He kissed her again to distract her. When she moaned in his mouth, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up and deposited her onto the bed. He climbed over her, kissing from her navel to her lips._

Mari woke up with a gasp and shot up in bed. _Why would I be dreaming of such barbarity? _She asked herself. She shuddered at the thought of ever laying in bed with the dwarf king. She shook her head to clear it of thoughts and got out of bed, getting herself ready for the day. When she got out of her bath and was drying her hair, she jumped up, startled, at the sudden blaze of trumpets in the air. She quickly slipped a dress on and looked out of her balcony to see a gathering of elves and Gandalf off in the distance. _I wonder what that's about,_ her mind said. She shrugged and went about finishing her morning preparations.

* * *

Thorin smiled in his sleep as the vision passed before his closed eyes. He hadn't slept this well in a long time, and it had been a long time since he'd had a dream this good.

_Thorin got out of the bath and sighed in satisfaction as he ran the towel over his body and through his hair. He loved the feeling of a warm bath after weeks of sleeping on the hard ground. He left the bathing area after putting only his pants on and walked toward the bed where Maerwen was reading. He threw the towel on the floor and turned to ask what she was reading and was startled to see her standing up close to him._

_His breathe caught in his throat when she reached for one of his scars. His cheeks flushed and his body started to heat up when she traced each one. "Where did you get all of these scars?" she asked him, so innocently, unaware of the torture she was inflicting upon him._

_He gasped lightly when she touched the scar that was above his heart. "I got them in all the battles I've fought in."_

_She seemed so mesmerized by his scars, he couldn't tell her he didn't like when people touched his scars. _Besides,_ his mind said, _she can touch any part of my body she wants to. _He flushed again at that thought. _

_Thorin's heart skipped a beat when Mari decided to step even closer and trace the scar that was on his shoulder. "This one looks like a recent one." Thorin watched Mari's face and was captivated by the concentration in her eyes. It was as if she was off in her own world, but he was allowed in it for once. When she blushed and tried to pull away after apologizing, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward his body and held her there. "You can touch me whenever you want."_

_He smirked when she declared "I would never want to touch you, dwarf." Her voice faltered just enough to let him know that she was lying. He closed his eyes and leaned his face towards hers and claimed her lips with his own in a heated kiss. When she moaned, he growled and pushed his tongue against her lips, demanding entrance. Upon gaining access to her mouth, he explored it and tasted her sweet tongue with his own. The heat built between them and soon Thorin decided to pull away from Mari. He reached for the end of her night gown and started to pull it off of her and-_

Thorin was startled out of his sleep by the sound of trumpets in the courtyard outside his window. He sat up in bed, still in a sleepy daze, and looked around the room when a dragon shaped firecracker went through his window and flew around his room. He reached next to him for the ax he always had with him and fell to the ground as the firecracker finally exploded.

Balin, upon hearing the commotion in Thorin's room, rushed in to see his master on the floor with his ax raised and sparks flying around the room. Thorin looked up at the old dwarf and asked, "What the blazes is going on?"

Balin took a second to contain himself and took a deep breath. He let it go and responded to his king. "Gandalf is in the courtyard proclaiming your engagement."

Thorin grumbled. "Did he have to make the announcement so early?" He put the ax down and got onto his feet and looked out his window to see many more fireworks being let off. "Couldn't he have waited at least five more minutes?"

Balin shrugged and left Thorin's room so Thorin could get ready for the day.

* * *

A/N: Well, here's Chapter 3! I can't believe how much I've been able to write in this story so far! I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please, please, please review! they make me happy and they help me update faster :)


	5. Chapter Four- The Betrothal Part One

Disclaimer: Even though I've forgotten to put this up in the past few chapters, I thought I'd put it here... I don't own The Hobbit, I'm not that cool... The rights are all J.R.R. Tolkein's and Peter Jackson's. I just like to play with their characters a bit :)

Chapter 4: The Betrothal Part One

Maerwen walked into the hall where breakfast was being served and paused when she saw that the only space left, again, was the spot next to Thorin. She blushed when she remembered the final dream she had the night before as she made her way to her seat. Thorin looked up slightly as Mari sat beside him. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks and kept his focus on his food, not even paying attention to the talk around him.

Thorin was stirred out of his reverie of playing with his food when a boisterous laugh from the other table brought his attention to Bofur who was mimicking being wed off to Bilbo in "ceremonious orc fashion". He snapped into reality just in time to catch the ending of the fun with Bofur wrapping a table cloth around his body and screaming "I am orc, you my man, we make baby orc!" as Bilbo ran into the court yard. Thorin rubbed his temples as the start of a headache came onto him.

Suddenly, Thorin's heart began palpitating when he heard a melodious sound come from the woman next to him. He turned to Mari to see her giggling madly at Bofur chasing after Bilbo. Thorin found himself smiling at her reaction, and when her eyes met his, he couldn't help but begin to chuckle himself. Mari found herself captivated by Thorin's eyes for a moment before they both turned to see Bilbo entering the hall again.

"I really don't think orcs would wed in such a fashion." Bilbo told Bofur who had come up behind him, still wrapped in the table cloth.

Fili stood up with a laugh and said, "Of course not, dear Bilbo." He sauntered over to Maerwen and put his arm around her. "It would go more like this: Fair maiden, most beautiful being in all the land, let us whisk away into the sunset."

Mari couldn't help but giggle at the funny nonsense that was going on around her. She looked down with a questioning look at Gandalf who only winked at her in encouragement. Unbeknownst to Mari, the dwarves were about to start evoking a tradition that dwarves had of "fighting for the woman's heart." Gandalf looked forward to see how the games played out.

Mari's attention was called back to the dwarves when Dwalin walked over to her chair and hoisted her out of it and onto his shoulder. She squealed in protest, unsure of what was going on.

"No, lads." Dwalin said. "It would go more like this: I am orc, this my woman, we make baby orcs now." He took a few steps away from the table when Elrond and Thorin both stood up to speak. Elrond spoke first. "Try this one: I am elf, that's my daughter, let me fetch my sword."

The dwarves all laughed when they saw Elrond smile at the end. Thorin crossed his arms, and trying not to laugh, said, "I've got a better one: I am dwarf, I'm your king, put my woman -down."

Dwalin stood still as he let Thorin's words wash over him, contemplating the repercussions of continuing the fun. Finally, with a shrug, he relented and set Maerwen back down onto the table top. Maerwen, flustered, hopped down to the ground and ruffled out her dress with a pout. "Well, I think that's enough of the fun and games, gentlemen." With that, she left the room and crossed the courtyard and was out of sight.

Arwen stood up from the table as everyone in the hall remained in a stunned silence after Mari made her abrupt departure. "Well, it looks like I'll have to go comfort my sister, since no one else will." And she left the hall in pursuit of her little sister.

Elrond watched Arwen leave and sighed as he sat back down. "Well, it looks like I'll have to tell Maerwen the plans later." He waited for the dwarves to sit back down before continuing. "We have to discuss how the wedding is going to happen."

Thorin nodded. "Yes, I agree. I was wondering when the nuptials were going to take place. Not to insult how great of a host you are, Lord Elrond, but I think we need to be on our quest soon."

Elrond nodded. "That's very true, Thorin. That's why we've thought of a way to speed up our traditional wedding process."

Gandalf blew out the bit of smoke that was in his mouth and said, "Usually, the betrothal would last at least a year, but since we're pressed for time, we've decided to condense it to three days."

Thorin sighed. "Three more days here, that's not that bad."

Elrond shook his head. "No, dear dwarf, three days of betrothal, wedding on the fourth day and then you leave for your quest on the fifth day. Tonight will be the feast marking the first day of your betrothal. Tomorrow, we'll brief you on all the Elfish wedding traditions, the next day we'll work out the dwarfish traditions, and hopefully we'll also have the spell worked out within these days."

Thorin interlaced his fingers, resting his elbows on the table and placing his chin on his interlocked hands. "This all seems to be reasonable enough," he said, still trying to take it all in. "Even five days is better than a year." The rest of the dwarves all looked at each other, wondering how the next few days would play out.

Thorin finally stood up and looked around the room. "Well, it seems I must go speak with my betrothed." He nodded at Gandalf and Elrond in acknowledgement, then left in search of Maerwen.

* * *

Arwen found Mari underneath her favorite tree, the apple tree under which her parents had been wed, sitting on the bench and humming to herself. She smiled as she approached her sister and sat down next to her. "You've never told me why this was your favorite spot in the courtyard." She told her sister softly.

Mari shrugged and looked at her sister with a smile. "My parents got married under this tree; it's the last place they were together."

Arwen's eyes grew sad at Mari's answer. "I thought you hated your parents." She told her little sister.

Mari shook her head. "How can I hate them?" She asked, her voice soft and full of sadness. "They're my parents, and I never knew them. I'm just angry that I can't be a real elf. I hate that my mother had to fall in love with a dwarf. I hate that he had to die and make mother die of a broken heart." Mari's eyes had filled with tears by the end of her rant. "I just hate being so different."

Arwen hugged Mari tightly and kissed her head. "Dearest love, I love that you're so different. You make everything interesting. You're so full of life, and freedom, and love. I don't think you would be the same Maerwen that we all love if you had been born full elf." She squeezed Mari one last time and kissed her again before standing up. "I'll leave you here to think, just don't sulk all day."

Mari smiled up at her big sister with tears in her eyes. "I won't be here for much longer."

Arwen nodded and turned to leave. She knew her sister would be okay; she just needed time alone to think about the events that had been happening lately. On her way back to the breakfast hall, she passed Thorin. She stopped when she saw him and gave him a mysterious smile and winked at him before continuing on her way.

Thorin watched her leave, confusion written on his face. He decided to shrug and let it go; he had more important matters to attend to at the moment. He walked into the garden where Mari was sitting underneath a tree on a marble bench, singing. He walked closer to hear the lyrics and was surprised when he recognized the song.

"_Far over the misty mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns old._

_We must away ere break of day_

_To seek the pale enchanted gold."_

When Mari took a breath to continue the next line, Thorin decided to sing along with her. He harmonized perfectly with her beautiful, high pitched voice and their song was completely in sync.

"_The dwarves of yore made mighty spells_

_While hammers fell like ringing bells_

_In places deep, where dark things sleep_

_In hollow halls beneath the fells."_

Mari had been enchanted in the moment of singing the only song she remembered that her mother sang to her, and the only reason being that Elrond had sung it to her when she was little. She turned when she realized there was another voice singing the song, and she wanted to see who had snuck up on her. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Thorin who was the owner of the beautiful bass voice that had accompanied her own soprano. She blushed and looked back at the tree.

"Where did you learn that song?" Thorin asked, as he approached the bench and sat down beside her.

Maerwen turned to her betrothed and said, "My mother used to sing it to me before she died. Apparently my father taught it to her. My lord, Elrond, sang it to me after she died so I would have something to remember her by."

Thorin nodded. "You sing very beautifully, my lady."

Mari blushed. "Thank you. You don't sing half bad yourself." She smiled to show him she was joking, but then grew serious. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were ok," he responded. "You left quite quickly, and you didn't get to hear the plans for our upcoming nuptials."

Mari's heart clenched at the small act of kindness. "Thanks, I'm alright. I just needed some time to think." Thorin nodded in understanding. "So, fill me in on the plans."

Thorin told her what Elrond had decided on so as to allow the dwarves to be on their journey. Mari listened quietly, her heart sinking. "This is really going to happen, isn't it?"

Thorin looked into Mari's sad eyes and felt a need to bring her into his arms and hold her against his chest. Instead, he cupped her cheek with his hand and whispered, "Yes, my dear, it's really going to happen."

Mari stared back into Thorin's eyes and saw an emotion she didn't understand. Her heart was palpitating hard in her chest at the feel of his hand on her face. She felt him leaning towards her and she felt the need to close her eyes, until she remembered the dream she had had the night before. She flushed and stood up, knocking his hand off of her. "I have to go Thorin, I'll see you at the feast."

When he made to say something to her, she turned around and ran all the way into her room, leaving Thorin confused. It had seemed like they were finally getting along. He had been close to kissing her because it had felt like the right time. _What did I do to make her flee?_ He asked himself.

* * *

Mari reached her bedroom and sat on her bed, her face still flushed from the incident in the garden. _He was about to kiss me!_ She thought indignantly in her head. _And, worse, I was going to let him._ She groaned and fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. She really wasn't looking forward to the feast that evening and decided to spend all day in her room, reading.

When the time came to dress for the festivities, Arwen entered her room and the two sisters dressed and prepared together. Arwen helped Mari curl her hair and pull it up off her face with a beautiful pin. Arwen herself let her own hair fall naturally to her shoulders and just placed her usual crown on her head.

The dress that Arwen had picked out for Mari was a white gown with green trim and emerald buttons. Arwen had on a red gown with golden trim. The girls gave each other a final look before leaving the room, satisfied that everything was in order.

Upon entering the feasting hall, Mari noticed that there were a few honored guests at the gathering. She and Arwen approached Lord Elrond who was at the head of the table and bowed to him, then they turned and bowed to his guests on his right. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had come to Rivendell to witness the union between Maerwen and Thorin. They also bowed to the man on Elrond's left, Sauroman the white wizard, had also appeared for the wedding.

Mari took her seat next to Thorin and the festivities began. She tried to stay optimistic the whole time, but the longer she stayed at the feast, the more her smile began to fade.

Thorin sat next to his wife-to-be in complete shock. He had known she was beautiful, but he never knew that she could be stunning. He spent the whole feast trying not to stare at her, and failing miserably. When Maerwen finally got up and declared she was headed to sleep, Thorin was a bit sad, but decided he had better retire also. The next few days would be very busy, and he needed his sleep.

Both of them walked to their separate rooms to dream of the other.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry about the delay my lovelies... I've been trying to work on things and also prepare for my own upcoming nuptials :) please review... reviews make me happy and they make me update sooner haha


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